This invention is directed to the construction of buildings and in particular the construction of buildings with modular panels.
Because of the spiralling cost of building construction, it has for many years been the trend to construct buildings of modular units which are manufactured away from the ultimate erection site. Because of standard sizes and the ease of handling, there have been many systems which have contemplated the use of sandwich panels which provide not only the exterior surface of sufficient strength and quality to resist the weather, but also the necessary interior panel of durability and esthetic appearance necessary for the building interior design. It has been contemplated that this panel would have as its core a material of sufficient insulating properties to provide the essentially equivalent of standard building construction in terms of heat and sound protection.
Although not the only disclosure of this kind, L. G. Hallamore in U.S. Pat. No. 3,785,913 discloses a structural panel having an inner skin of plywood or plasterboard and an external sheet of plywood, metal or the like sandwiching a polystyrene foam inner core. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,101,820, M. K. Snyder, et al, discloses a window structure for use in buildings constructed of similar panels.
A number of attachment devices have been disclosed to connect these panels to the floor and all appear to be directed to interior use. These attachment procedures are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,282,007 to H. F. Campbell et al., 3,334,455 to G. C. Russell, and 3,411,252 to W. J. Boyle, Jr.
It is apparent that a major limiting factor in the use of this type of panels for the exterior construction of buildings has been difficulty in attaching these panels to the floor in a weather-tight fashion. None of the above attachment means would suffice and until my invention, the use of these panels to construct the exterior shell of buildings has been severely limited.
W. B. Wilkins in U.S. Pat. No. 3,529,393 discloses a wall to floor connector beams which has a U cross-sectional shape. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,182,767 T. J. Kuehl discloses a shower cabinet construction, which must of necessity be water tight but the construction is entirely different than my invention. A building construction system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,712,004 to Victor H. Loebsak which discloses a metal flashing member is similar to that utilized in present building construction.
None of these connecting systems disclose the present invention or satisfy the objects as follows:
It is an object of this invention to provide an attachment device to connect sandwich building panels to the floor such that the exterior bottom edge will be sealed to the weather.
It is an additional object of this invention to provide an attachment system to connect sandwich panels having an interior sheet and an exterior sheet with an insulation core to a floor base, such as a concrete slab or foundation.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a weather sealing attachment of sandwich panels affixed near an edge of the base floor or foundation exposed to the weather to prevent water from being driven under the panel and into the interior of the building.
It is an additional object of this invention to provide a high strength reinforced lower edge of the sandwich panel which when the panel is secured to the base bracket of this invention will provide a structurally sound and weather proof system of attachment.
It is an additional object of this invention to provide an attachment system for sandwich panels which can easily be handled without skilled labor and will essentially be independent of the care of installation.
It is an additional object of this invention to provide an attachment system which can effectively seal sandwich panels of handleable size along their lower edges to the floor or foundation and will allow multiple units attached side by side in a weather proof fashion.
These and other objects have been attained in the present invention which accomplishes the needs described above.